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Monthly Archives: November 2013

Gasp stage 1 has won an Australian Institute of Architects National Award for Urban Design 2013.

Jury citation

In a simple but powerful gesture, GASP inscribes an arc around Elwick Bay on Hobart’s Derwent River. This arc becomes a delightful walkway that offers shifting spatial experiences and environmental conditions along its length – one walks within the reeds, along the edge of terra firma and across the water between small inlets and the river.

GASP demonstrates a clever understanding of landscape and scale. The colourful, shimmering line reads effectively at multiple scales – seen at a distance across the water (from MONA), in motion from a car speeding along the arterial road, and ambling along on foot or bicycle. In turn, the pathway and the pavilions that punctuate it provide changing views of distant and close landscapes.

GASP brings a fresh perspective to this part of the city, linking it into broader urban networks (connecting, for example, to the inner-city cycleway), while also re-establishing the area as a destination in its own right. As a result, this forgotten, neglected shoreline – which had been severed from the life of the community by roads and the remains of infrastructure – is once again appreciated and valued.

The path itself is built in a robust, straightforward manner, but the clever use of colour lifts it far above the everyday. These vibrant, shifting tones work surprisingly well with the natural environment and are tempered through the use of natural timber surfaces within the pavilions. Here, in these spaces for pause and leisure, materials and details are more refined.

The project is “raw,” yet also subtle and sophisticated. Completed on a tight budget, it makes a rich and layered urban contribution with minimal means.

Affirmative Architecturehas been conceived as an annual event that seeks to define an emergent trend amongst young architects and designers to re-engage with the ability of architecture and the design process to make life better.

Consisting of a symposium and associated exhibition it draws together international and Australian architects who have demonstrated commitment to a social agenda and have made significant contribution to the public realm. In a contemporary context, these practitioners have a positive consideration of social engagement, careful analysis of existing conditions and a deliberate, often challenging architectural response.

In 2013, University of Sydney Alumni and Staff including Adjunct Professor Rachel Neeson, Dr Lee Stickells, David Neustein and Hannah Tribe will join Professor Martyn Hook from RMIT University in convening Affirmative Architecture Sydney.

Curated as a series of interactive lectures and panel discussions the speakers describe their predominately built work and real projects that address real problems.

The event has demonstrated a real concern for the role of the architect in society and a driver of cultural and developmental change. The critical question here is what contribution architects and architecture can make in each situation and how might their research, strategies and skills make a real difference to everyday life.

New Architects Melbourne (NAM) began in the Brunswick, Melbourne in April 2010 as an informal get together of small local architectural studios and colleagues who knew of people that have recently started their own practice. It provided a platform for new architects to present their story, vision and design processes and sensibilities in a casual, environment in front of peers and enthusiasts alike. On one hand it provides exposure to a particular vibrant aspect of the local industry as well as building connections and networks between architects, designers, architectural publishers and journalists, and the like.

Themes, Format and Vision

One of the running themes of NA M is a referrals process that brings more established and acclaimed architectural practices in contact with young unknown firms in order for potential clients that cannot be accommodated by the more established practices to channel these opportunities to the NAs.

NA Ms gatherings feature brief and concise presentations by local practices, talking about their project/s featuring them at various stages from speculative to completion. Each of these gatherings are held about 3-4 times a year in a various locations around Melbourne. Up til today, NA M is not officially affiliated with any established organisations or institutions and runs without financial sponsorship. It is reliant on the contributions of everyone that is passionate and generous with their time, energy with their presentations and hosting.

NA M are interested in following and partaking in the journey of people as they embark upon one of the most exhilarating, terrifying, exhausting and rewarding endeavours an architect could ever make. Their own practice. NA M hopes to continue over an extended period of time to see through the development of practices even to the point of seeing a giving back of support, mentoring and knowledge to the next generation of new architects.

We are excited to be able to part of raising the confidence, competence, skill and profile of architects that all have talent and heart to make valuable contributions to our built environment and therefore our community.

All things are possible through vision, determination and encouragement.